The Boy Who Lived To Be King
by Sakurai Haruka
Summary: Arthur dies in the fields of Camlann but Merlin lives on to await his rebirth. slash, death, angst, reincarnation, mpreg  maybe later


The Boy Who Lived To Be King

By Haruka

Summary: Arthur dies in the fields of Camlann but Merlin lives on to await his rebirth.

Warnings: slash, death, angst, mpreg (maybe later), writing as i go

Chapter 0

"Arthur!" A voice rings out over the battlefield.

Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot, clashes blades with another and he doesn't dare to look away from his opponents. He knows that his clumsy servant was trying to get to him. Arthur wanted Merlin safe away from battle, but knew that his warlock would follow him wherever he went. Another solider down but more take his place in the never ending battle. He knew he wasn't as young as he once was but he was still King and he'd die fighting for his kingdom and his people.

There is a lull in the fighting and Arthur chances a glance around to see where his idiot of a servant is at. He sees him fighting Morgana and still feels a pang in his heart when he thinks of the betrayal of her. And he still can't get over how powerful Merlin is in magic. Most of his life he'd believe magic was evil and it could do nothing but evil things. Then Merlin enters his life and without him knowing about it, the warlock saves his life again and again. It wasn't until his eleventh year of his reign, when Merlin finally tells him about his magic and their great destiny. Of course he doesn't believe a word said out of a sorcerer's mouth and had Merlin locked up in the dungeon for a couple days until Gaius, Gwen, Gwaine, and several other knights protested against it and finally everyone sat down around the Round Table to have Merlin explain everything to them.

Arthur does his best to put aside the hurt that he feels when he thinks about Merlin lying to him all these years about having magic but part of him understands why he did it. Right then and there Arthur asks for a vote for Merlin to stay or be banned from Camelot. He wasn't disappointed when no one voted for him to be banned. So Merlin became part of the court as Arthur's warlock. Merlin said he preferred to be called a warlock than a sorcerer because he was born of magic than learned it. And Arthur still had him as his servant, after all, Merlin knows how Arthur likes everything and it would be too much trouble to teach another. Merlin agreed.

A pain in his side brought him back to reality as he grasps his side and swivels around to face a youngish face. "Mordred." Arthur hisses out.

"Hello Arthur." Mordred was now in his late twenties but still looks younger than he was. Still wore the forest green cloak and a smirk on his face. "Do you know what today is?"

Arthur narrows his eyes at Mordred and wonders why today would be any different than any other day. But Mordred just shrugs.

"No need to spoil the surprise then."

And then without further delay, Mordred attacks with sword in hand. Arthur had to give him credit for fighting with weapons than magic. But with magic, the king would lose no matter what. Mordred knew that as well. And he wants this to be a long fight. The druid wants to wear down the king who had in his first years of kingship, still persecuted his kin.

They traded blows; Arthur's no less forceful than Mordred's. Even with the wound Mordred had given in Arthur's side at the beginning. They both fought valiantly; neither giving in nor giving up. It wasn't until Arthur had the upper hand finally and twists Mordred's sword out of his hand and in a quick motion stabs his sword, Excalibur, straight through Mordred. A surprise look appears upon the young man's face but soon contorts in anger. The druid lashes out with his magic and rips Excalibur out of the king's hand. With a yelp the king staggers back a few steps cautiously watches the druid. It wasn't until he feels the pain from his back when he realizes that he has been stabbed in the back with Mordred's sword.

Arthur looks down at the sword sticking out blade first from his stomach. He gasps for breath as he falls to his knees. He doesn't even hear Mordred hit the ground as well. Both were dealt mortal blows from the other. The king idly wonders if he where to die now what would happen to Camelot, his people, his queen, his warlock… as if just remembering Merlin fighting Morgana, he looks around the battlefield trying to find him. Arthur look straight into Merlin's frightened eyes. Arthur wishes he never caused that look upon Merlin's face.

Merlin let out an inhuman scream as he ran towards his fallen king. It was his magic pulsating through the air, knocking out anyone (friend or foe) within range of him. The warlock reached his king just as his legs were giving out, catching the king in his lap.

"Arthur…" Merlin whispers, trying to stop the bleeding but failing. Even his magic was too exhausted from battling Morgana to help out.

"Don't be such a girl, Merlin." Arthur gasps out as he slowly reaches up to caress Merlin's' cheek. "I told you before; no man is worth your tears."

Tears stream down as Merlin watches them fall upon Arthur's chainmail. "But you are not just a man, are you?" Merlin says softly to the fallen man. "You are my king and my destiny." The warlock pulls Arthur closer to him as he lays his forehead against the king's head. "And I… I… love you, prat." Merlin whispers finally out loud and Arthur hears him.

Arthur chuckles quietly then winces at the pain that shoots through his chest. "You are an idiot, Merlin." He closes his eyes as he tries to will the pain away. "I've always known that you did but nothing could have come of it." The king feels Merlin nod his head in agreement at his words. Arthur tries to pull Merlin head back up so he can look him in the eyes but fails and he gets annoyed at how weak he feels. "Merlin! Look at me, please."

The warlock sighs softly as he raises his head to look at his king. Tears still fall silently down his cheeks and Arthur brushes them away only to make room for more. His hand falls back down to the dirt below him unable to keep it raised for too long. "Merlin… promise me…" Arthur gasps for breath for a moment hoping that he could get his message out before he dies. "…promise me… in our next life… you will find me…"

Merlin nods his head to Arthur. "I promise you this Arthur Pendragon. I will find you no matter how long it takes and then we can finally be together." Tears fall upon Arthur's smiling face and Merlin can see the life leave his king's eyes. Sobs fill the air as Merlin finally releases all the pain now that the one person in the entire world he has come to love dies in his arms. His magic radiates from him, rain drops fell from the heavens as to mourn the loss of the once and future king of Albion.

Magic creatures all over the world felt the warlocks' grief and mourn the passing of the king with him. The great dragon flew to the last dragonlord and stays close by, not saying a word. Aithusa was not far behind either. Kilgharrah watches his young warlock mourn the loss of the king of Albion. He knew all those years ago how this story was going to end but seeing it now was just heart breaking to the ancient dragon.

It wasn't long after the two dragons arrived that Merlin stirs to acknowledge them. He looks up; puffy red eyes looked so lost to the great dragon, "What is my destiny now, Kilgharrah? Arthur is dead."

For a long moment, the two just stare at each other. Getting impatient, Aithusa slithers over to her dragonlord and curls around Merlin and the fallen king. Her head rests at Merlin side where he sat on ground, her breath puffs with smoke was the only sign of her agitation.

"Be that as it may, dragonlord, all is not lost." Kilgharrah spoke carefully, eyeing Merlin.

A blank stare returns to the dragon, not speaking a sound.

Kilgharrah huffs out smoke in a rare show of uneasiness. "Merlin, what is said here at this moment, can never be spoken about, to anyone." Merlin nods his consent, still silent. Kilgharrah lowers his head so that it is level with the warlock and he glances at the fallen king. "This is where the once and future king of Albion falls. It must always be here on this day." Merlin flinches at that but the great dragon ignores it. "But it is also said that he would rise again when he is most needed."

Merlin looks down at Arthur. "When will that be?" He whispers softly but easily heard by both dragons.

"Not even I know when that will be, young warlock." Kilgharrah states somewhat sadly as he watches his dragonlord keep a tight hold onto his king.

"Then I will just have to wait for him." Merlin says as he finally looks back up to the great dragon.

"And how will you do this, dragonlord? You will not live forever."

"No, I am human after all." Merlin says as he tilts his head to the side as he thinks of a solution. His eyes dart from one dragon to the other. "Dragons can live forever." He states with a small frown.

"Yes. But you are not a dragon." Kilgharrah reminds the warlock in amusement.

Merlin nods. "You can gift someone immortality. Don't try to deny it!"

Kilgharrah puffs smoke out his nostrils at Merlin as he stares into the warlock's eyes. "You wish to live forever, dragonlord? You will see people live and die whilst you live on. It will be a curse to you because you are human."

A single tear falls down Merlin's cheek. "I made a promise to Arthur. And I will keep it, Kilgharrah." The warlock said with strength he didn't quite believe he had but if he would see Arthur again, it would be worth all the deaths he'd have to overcome.

The great dragon was silent as he stares into his dragonlord's determined eyes. Perhaps this warlock could live through all the pain and suffering he would have to endure just to see his king reborn. After many minutes went by, Kilgharrah nods once. "So be it. I hope you do not regret your choice, young warlock, because there will be no going back. This is forever."

Merlin did not hesitate when he nods his consent. Aithusa grunts as she stands up away from the warlock and over to the side of the great dragon. She isn't as large as Kilgharrah, but she is still young and has many more years to grow.

"You will have to separate from…" Kilgharrah didn't want to make his dragonlord have anymore pain than he already did but… "Arthur." He decides just to name the human his dragonlord loves. The great dragon watches as Merlin nods and lean down to kiss the forehead of Arthur and whispers something that Kilgharrah doesn't bother to make out and he slowly lowers the fallen kings body to the ground and stands up. He walks away from the body a ways, but still has his eyes on it as if it would disappear while he wasn't there. Kilgharrah waits a few moments while Merlin gets his wits together and he uses this time to ready his magic. As with all dragon magic he would release it with this breath. So when Merlin finally looks over to the great dragon, with out hesitation the dragon opens his mouth and flames engulf the young warlock fully.

Merlin doesn't feel it at first but then pain shoots through his body and he screams out as he falls to his knees. It was like tiny needles poking every single pore in his body at once. Even after Kilgharrah was finished with his magic, the pain stays with the warlock a while more. Aithusa curls up around her dragonlord again as if to try to take his pain away. She even licks him every once in awhile to make sure he's still there and alive. Although Merlin would never admit it later, he had passes out from the pain as it was too great even for him to handle. But that was the price for such magic as he asked for.

Merlin wakes up a few hours later and noticed it was darker than it was earlier, so he slowly untangles himself from the over protective white dragon and stumbles over to where he left Arthur's body. "I need to get him back to Camelot." He says his words full of sadness. Aithusa settles beside the two like she always does when they go for a ride on her. Slowly and with magic, Merlin gets himself and his fallen king upon the white dragon and they are on their way back to Camelot.

Kilgharrah watches them leave knowing why Merlin didn't even thank him for the gift he'd just given him. The warlock knew that the burden he just acquired and will have to live with for the rest of his unnatural life, but inwardly the great dragon heard Merlin whisper a small 'thank you' telepathically. So he accepts that as all he would get for now and makes his way back to where he'd come from until the next time the last dragonlord would call for him.

Back in Camelot, Aithusa landed in the castle courtyard. Knights and guards quickly realized that the only ones to ride upon the white dragon would be the king and his warlock. Merlin slid down the dragon's neck with Arthur held tightly in his arms. They both reach the ground next to the dragon, whom didn't leave their side. As if summoned, the queen quickly arrived and fell to her knees next to them. Already tears where falling down her elegant face. She pulled her king into her lap and weeps openly in front of the gathering crowd. Already whispers of their fallen king were winding through Camelot.

"Gwen…" Merlin's hoarse whisper made her look up at the distraught man. Oh she knew how much he had cared for her husband and king. But she also knew nothing would ever happen between them because Arthur was an honest man and would never hurt her like that, ever. And Merlin was her best friend. So looking at him now, she truly just realized how much Merlin loved Arthur and just him. It made her feel ashamed that she loved another man other than her king. "I'm sorry, Gwen… I was fighting Morgana and she distracted me… Arthur is a great fighter but somehow he found himself facing Mordred… I didn't know how it happened; it was all so fast…" Merlin had tears running down his face now. "They both dealt each other a mortal blow… I tried to save him, Gwen! I did!" He cries out, sobbing into his hands as if he were ashamed to even been there.

Guinevere knew Merlin was telling the truth, how could he not be? She trusts him with her life and the life of her husband. But now that Arthur was dead and she queen, she had to put up the royal façade and rule Camelot somehow without Arthur by her side. She will have help with this of course; those Knights loyal to Arthur were also loyal to Gwen. But she had this feeling that Merlin would not be around for much longer.

A Knight kneels next to the queen and places a hand upon her shoulder. Without even looking she knew it was Lancelot. He and a few other Knights had stayed behind in Camelot to protect it in Arthur's absence. Elyan quickly kneels on her other side with a solemn face. Other knights join them to lift their fallen king into the castle. Lancelot guides the queen right behind them and Elyan grabs hold of Merlin pulling him inside as well. The warlock appears to not even notice the change in location.

The whole of Camelot and its surrounding cities mourns for the lost of their King. The Queen led the funeral procession with Lancelot and Merlin just behind her. The rest of the Round Table follows behind. It was a grand funeral where Kings and Queens from all over came to pay their respects for the King of Camelot. By the end of it, Gwen and Merlin were left alone to mourn together at their lost love.

"I made Arthur a promise before he died." Merlin speaks out quietly in the grand hall.

Gwen looks over at Merlin. His eyes are straight a head looking at Arthur. She turns to follow his gaze as her eyes start to mist a bit but she doesn't say anything.

"He will be coming back Gwen and I'm going to wait for him no matter how long it takes."

She flicks her gaze back over to the warlock, who is now staring at her. "How?" She whispers.

"I am the last dragonlord. The great dragon bestowed upon me immortality. In his next life I swore to him we would finally be together." Merlin slowly reaches out to take Gwen's hand in his. "I love Arthur. I have for a long time." The warlock barely whispers and Gwen nods and smiles slightly at him.

"I know Merlin. I have always known. He loved you too, you know?" Gwen squeezes Merlin's hand. "I wish you luck on your journey Merlin. I do not think I could take that path that you chose."

Merlin nods to his best friend. They both stood there in silence, still hand in hand until Lancelot came in to announce that the council would like to speak with the Queen. So Merlin hands Lancelot Gwen's hand and squeezes them both. He smiles at them. "At least wait a year or so before you both announce you're involvement with each other. Please." They both nod to the warlock and he lets them go. After the double doors close, Merlin turns his attention back to the still form of Arthur. Dressed in his finest cloths, crown polished until it shines, Excalibur rested upon his chest with both hands folded over it. Merlin walks up to him and kneels on the floor so he is eye level to Arthur's head. He rests his head upon the cold stone as his fingers comb through Arthur's blond hair.

For awhile he keeps this up not willing to let the moment go. But all things must end. Sighing, he closes his eyes to keep the tears from falling. "I already miss you, prat." He says quietly.

Opening his eyes, Merlin pushes himself back up and picks up one of the delicate flowers that are surrounding the king. With a burst of magic and gold glowing eyes, a sword exactly like Excalibur is in the warlock's hand. Carefully lifting Arthur's cold limbs and removing the real sword, he replaces it with the replica. Merlin hides the sword in his robes and glances once more upon Arthur's face.

"Rest well my friend. We shall meet again. This I can promise you."

And with one more kiss up on cold lips, Merlin turns around and leaves Camelot. He places the sword back to where Arthur found it all those years ago; in the grove where the light shone upon the rock in the center. In time, this place would become sacred and sealed off, but for now this would be the place where Excalibur rested until it could be returned to its king.

No one will see the warlock for a long time. Camelot rose and fell with the once and future king, and Merlin years later constructs a barrier around Camelot to hide the city from everyone in the world. So when Arthur makes his return he would have a kingdom to return to. The citizens of Camelot remain unaware of this barrier, but those that leave never find their way back. Soon people begin to realize this and remain within the city walls. Without a king or queen, a regent is placed in charge. Everyone is reminded once a century, for that is when Merlin returns to Camelot, that the once and future king will be reborn one day and to await his return.

Every once in awhile, a new face shows up within the city not really knowing where they came from, the regent welcomes them anyway. It is quickly remedied that Merlin led them there either for their protection or because Camelot needed someone like them.

The knights no longer need to be nobles and commoners are welcomed to serve to protect Camelot. Even though no one will ever attack the city as it is a secret. But years go by and regents come and go. The people move on. The city continues living, some things still from the past. Others brought from the outsiders new to the city. Remodeling is done to integrate Camelot into the more technological world. Before long, wood huts are made out of brick, wood ovens replaced with electric ovens, candles replaced with electricity, and so on. Although with all theses new advances some things stays the same. Knights still fought with swords and other melee weapons. Horses were still used as transportation throughout the city because of the narrow roads and because they citizens liked it that way.

Camelot in this day and age, people and magic lived together. Druids relocated to a patch of forests within the barrier and lived in peace with Camelot. Magic creatures also roamed the forests, the druids usually kept them calm and non aggressive. There were some problems, but none resulting in death for either creature or human. Wizards and witches lived within the city walls were usually healers or herb sellers. One lived in the castle and served as the Court Physician. That title went usually to a magic user so they used their healing magic for the nobles and the regent's family.

Outside the barrier of Camelot, the world moved on and King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table and Merlin the Warlock became a fairytale; a story to tell kids at bed time. Merlin walked through this world and watched it change. Even the magical separated itself from the normal. It became a secret and a story to tell. Witches and Wizards became stories and unicorns, goblins, fairies, trolls, and so on became fairytales. Merlin felt sad that they would be apart when he and Arthur tried so hard to bring the normal and magical together. The wizards and witches created their own world and government. But they still remembered the beginning and Merlin. The warlock kept in touch with the magical world as much as the normal one. As time went on, only magic creatures remained to recognize him. To the magical humans, Merlin became a famous magician and a bed time story. No one realized he still lived and walked among them.

Around this time Goblins created their banks and Merlin, being the person he is, attained one of the bank vaults as his own and told the Goblin King that only he and Merlin would be allowed to open the vault together; no one else. Goblin King agreed as long as he got to know what was in the vault. Merlin showed up with a plain looking rock drenched in magic and a magnificent sword sticking from the top. The Goblin King was stuck on his words as he realized it was Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur. When asked why hide it, Merlin replied that Arthur will return one day to reclaim his throne and what better way to make sure he really is Arthur that for him to pull his sword out of the stone again? Both agreed it was a set plan and would start to look around to see if Arthur had been born again.

All in all, peace reigns in Camelot for over a thousand five hundred years. And this is where our story begins.

AN: yeah, I thought this story up a few days ago and its stuck in my head… I really really love this story and I just might finish this one… don't hold your breath though :) as for my other stories… I don't think I'll ever finish them, sorry if you wanted me too… I sorta lost interest in them, but this one… I'm so stuck on Merlin atm :) I love that show! Anyways, I'm writing as I go. I haven't started chapter one yet. This is the prolog or as I labeled it, chapter 0 :) enjoy!


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